This is one of the most amazing hikes in LA- this canyon in the springtime is magical. And it's…read morenot crowded either, due to a few factors: it's kind of a longish hike, there's a walk just to get to the trailhead (unless of course you have a key to the gate, like me) and taking the little-known shortcut requires balls of steel and exposure to poison oak. But once you get past this, there's a well-constructed, easy to follow trail that takes you through deserts, rain forests, dripping grottoes, majestic cliffs and waterfalls, gold mines, and more. And all of this is just a few miles from civilization. If you're lucky (!) you might see deer, foxes, bears, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, hawks, crows, and skunks. And maybe a tarantula! If you go, please don't litter, clean up after your animal, and do not leave your toilet paper, diaper, or poop bag next to the trail or the creek. That's just gross, and believe me, you will ruin the day for a lot of people. Pack it out! I don't have any pics of the canyon past the waterfall, these pics are just a taste of what you'll see!

This hike had a lot to offer. Pretty green mostly covered trails a lot of crossing water when it…read morehad rained before. About a 6-7mile hike round trip depending on your starting point we started around Altadena area by fair oaks street. Bring- a lot of water depending on how you handle hiking Adventure pass is needed to park I don't use them but some walking / trek sticks could be useful in some parts. I'm a large guy it took a lot out of me to get there it's a moderate to hard hike for me. With more exercise and a few more hikes under my belt to get back into shape I would hike it again. A lot of connecting places to hike through to as well. Echo mountain connection - inspiration point .

Quiet, easy hiking trail for the whole family. Baby stroller access may be a little tricky the…read morefirst 10-15 minutes. But after that it's smooth sailing. A very pleasant and peaceful walk. You may notice some freeway noise in some parts. HOW TO GET THERE: Set your GPS/Navigation to "Descanso Garden". You're going to park inside Descanso Garden anyways. Its free and its a 3 minute walk from the Trailhead. Do Not use the Yelp app's "Get Directions" on your smartphone. It'll take you to someone's house. I wish Yelp would correct this. PARKING: Don't tell anyone I told you this but I always park at Descanso Garden Parking Lot. It's free. I park my car right at the entrance to Descanso Garden so that I'm close to the entrance. There's always a gazillion empty parking spaces here. As soon as you park your car, walk back to the entrance (towards the main road, Descanso Drive) and then turn left onto the dirt sidewalk. You'll walk for a minute and find the 3 little yellow steel posts that other Yelpers described. That's your landmark for the entrance to the Trail. TRAILHEAD ACCESS: The trail begins about a 3 minute walk from the Descanso Garden parking lot. So when you exit the Descanso Garden parking lot, immediately turn left. Walk on the dirt sidewalk for less than a minute and on the left hand side you'll see 3 yellow steel posts (you know the kind that prevents people from driving over it). Walk through these 3 yellow posts and you'll find yourself walking on asphalt flanked by 8 feet tall brown colored fencing. You'll ask yourself "Am I at the right place?". Trust me, you are. Follow the signs and suddenly you'll find yourself at the trailhead. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. I went to Descanso Trail with my in-laws today. They're both in their mid-70's (very healthy) and they had no problems. The most difficult part of this trail comes about 5 minutes into the walk. You'll find yourself staring at an uphill climb consisting of several switchbacks. There's lots of loose rocks that someone can slip on. Especially small children and elderly. Climbing up is not bad. Even for my mid-70's in-laws they had no trouble. Did it without resting. Coming down these switch-backs is a little more challenging but definitely do-able for the healthy elderly. A walking/hiking stick will help. The rest of the hike is smooth sailing. Slight uphill and downhill walking here and there. Nothing challenging. The trail is made of compacted dirt, mainly about 5 feet to 10 feet wide. If you're a good hiker, if you've hiked Half Dome then this Descanso Trail hike will be a 'walk in the park'! BABY STROLLER: For about 99% of this trail, a stroller will have no problems whatsoever. However, within 5 minutes of starting this hike (read my "Difficulty Level" section above) you will find yourself at the bottom of an upward climb through some switchbacks. I think some healthy parent with a capable stroller probably could push the buggy uphill. But I believe for most parents, this will pose a challenge. You're better off holding the baby in your arms and having someone else carry the stroller uphill. Luckily, this uphill walk will take less than 5 minutes. After this, the rest of the trail is easy sailing for a stroller. Mainly compacted dirt. Keep in mind there are some gently upward and downward hills you need to navigate. CELLPHONE RECEPTION: I had 3 to 5 bars on my Verizon iPhone the whole time on the trail. No problems with reception at all.

Hiking is a passion of mine which I truly enjoy. This is a trail that allows the flexibility of…read morebeginner to advanced workouts. For starters if you are into running, jogging or bike rides this trail is perfect. I enjoy the running aspect as I love a great workout. If you enjoy some chill time or a read this is a great spot as well. From enjoying a great sunrise or sunset this is a great spot.

Great hike to do and there's different levels with different paths to go from right along the water…read moreto uphill to a large path for pets and bike-friendly. El Prieto Trail has a great history as well so that was cool to read up on history of Robert Owens, an African American pioneer who settled in the area in the 1850s. Large parking area as well. A little dusty in the beginning but as you get deeper in the trails, it's not bad at all!

The first time we hiked in the Gabrielino trail, we took the right fork which was mostly paved road…read moreand flat ground but this time we decided to go to the left fork and hike the El Prieto Trail. There is an incline and it's more challenging and nature-y. The trail is narrow and there are more mountain bikers, I've heard a lot of bells ringing the back and front of me along the 1.5 hour hike but all bikers were courtesy. I would definitely hike this trail again.

Short & fun .8 mile loop trail. Review is for eagle rock canyon trail (at fig & 134), not the eagle…read morerock trail in topanga- which can be confusing if looking at pictures on other reviews here... Once you park on eagle rock view dr (dead end) or on Figueroa (turns into scholl canyon), just north of the 134, there is a little entrance, which I missed walking by the first time. Once inside the entrance at the break in the wooden fence, you hit a fork on trail. This is the loop point. Either route will take you back to this point. We could not get on top of the "eagle rock historic landmark" because a neighbor there told me the land owner had fenced it off. Super easy hike if you are looking for something quick.

It seems like there is some confusion about which location this yelp page is for. The address…read morelisted in the one on Entrada Rd in Topanga, which is the one I am reviewing. Anyhow, if you approach eagle rock from Trippet Ranch parking area in Topanga it's a nice (actually very challenging) uphill route to Eagle Rock. Absolutely worth taking a break at the top, you can walk out on the giant rocks for a great view. Some reviews call the uphill part moderate/ not too bad. I guess I am more out of shape than those people, it can be rough! Best part is the way back is all downhill!

Had so much fun hiking here. We climbed to the peak of a couple mountains, made it to two stone…read morepiles. Our starting point was at the opposite way of the loop, the trail wasn't very clear but we kept moving forward. We began hiking around 9 AM made 4 or 5 stops and finished at 5:40PM, I started tracking the distance roughly by the 3rd hour of our hike and it marked 14.7 miles. Most of the signs up were all rusty and unreadable. The combination of strong and cold winds, the rocky trail, a loose sandy ground on the steep areas were to die for- literally. Some parts were incredibly challenging but it was an exhilarating experience.

Will never give nature less than 5 stars but this was a CHALLENGING hike. So beautiful and plenty…read moreof rest points to break up the hike but man was I feeling it afterwards. We packed plenty of water and snacks and followed the trail etiquette(downhill hikers mover over to uphill hikers, ect) Our figure 8 route included: 2.5 miles to echo Another 2 to inspiration point where we sat and ate a quick lunch- love the telescopes all over!! Another 1.5 to Mt Lowe! This part was definitely the hardest for me, quite a bit of elevation gain in a small space but I did it! The swing wasn't at the top but still a gorgeous view. 10/10 would hike again and a great conditioning hike for Mt Wilson!

Hiking is a passion and love affair with me. I love the outdoors and enjoying nature. This is a…read morespot that allows peace of mind and a true enjoyment of the natural area. The joys of walking, running as well as biking can be enjoyed at this spot. Bring your dogs as well and show them the outdoors as they will enjoy it.

Easy hike. Beginner trail. Parking in the street. Started 6am no one on trail. No shade, go early…read moreif you don't like hikes in the sun.

A nice fire road to hike in La Canada…read more My friend and Yelper Jo Anne S. texted me that she wanted to hike, so I met her at the beginning of the trail. The Earl Canyon Motorway is a fire road that begins just west of the new Jessen Bridge right by the intersection of Solliden Lane. To get to Solliden Lane you would drive north on Palm Drive from Foothill Boulevard. First, we headed straight up the road that starts as a residential street. If you go straight you'll see a big sign for Hall Beckley Canyon. Eventually there will be an intersection and you will turn left. Don't go straight down Beckley Canyon because it dead ends in about a half mile into a spillway and abandoned home. There is a tree rope we used to climb to the top of the spillway, but once you get to the top there's no trail. I think the Santa Monica Conservancy or City of La Canada needs to start some work to re-build the trail once something is done with that abandoned house. It kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies and I was glad I wasn't hiking alone. Who knows if riff raff hangs out in this old house that is mostly boarded up. We turned back and got back on the actual fire road and it goes up a few miles. Next time I hike it I will try to get to the top and I'll edit this review. We started late and it started getting kind of warm so we turned around. Also, the Yelp map is off, but I'll get that fixed. I sent an e-mail to Yelp HQ with the coordinates. The view is amazing up there. We could see the Santa Monica Bay clearly with the naked eye. The photos didn't look as clear with iPhone. We could see to Catalina Island which was nice. This is definitely a nice trail on the side of Mt. Lukens. It may be an easy route to the summit and I'll try that in the near future.

We were looking for something to do in the area since we had time to kill. My brother suggested…read morethat we give this place a try and was really just a hop skip and jump away from home. I can't believe I have lived here for a large portion of my life and don't ever remember going on this hiking trail. According to my parents, they took me here once when I was younger but I don't have any recollection of this. As you walk up (or down) Jessen, you'll see a little road that leads past a few more homes and then slowly heads up the hills. While the path isn't paved, you definitely won't "lose" the path or find yourself in a bind with things blocking your way. The first trail definitely has a wide enough area where you won't have that sensation of falling off the side of the mountain. It is slippery because of all the loose rocks so make sure to wear good shoes. This is especially important for your trip back down because some of these places are steep enough to cause you to slide. You came here not just for the exercise but the scenery. On a bright sunny clear day you can see the skyline of Los Angeles as well as the ocean and making it up to the top really gives you a sense of accomplishment. If you really wanted more, you could continue hiking another 3 miles to head to the next view point. I have seen many people running as well as riding their bikes up the mountain (how they do that I don't know because I was already dying just walking). You can also walk your dogs up here (but please be responsible and pick up after them!). Definitely recommend this if you're in the area and looking to get some good pictures of the city :D

You can park for free on the street which has many trees for shade. The hike entrance is to the…read moreright of the Descanso Gardens. If it's a hot day I recommend bringing some water and a hat. It's a two mile journey up to the top at Cerro Negro. We started our hike late around noon and it was hot with few people along the route.

Today is wild and it's yours. What can I say I'm wild for her cherry adventure. ;D…read more Cherry Canyon Park composed of a small but dense network of trails that are great for hikers, runners, bikers and walkers. It offers a panoramic view of mountains. This park is located in La Cañada Flintridge near the popular Descanso Gardens. There are different entrance/exit points to CCP such as Descanso-CherryCanyon trail, Conservancy trail, Motorway, Forest hill and Hampstead. I decided to take the Descanso Cherry Canyon trail on Descanso dr road. The trail has an elevation gain of 950 ft with a hiking level of 4 (moderate with steep inclines; not for beginners). The loop trail length up to 5 miles and you'll definitely spend at least 2 hours; it's highest summit reach to 1,887 feet. Cherry Canyon trail is dog friendly and bike friendly. There is little to no shade on these trails. Fellow hikers were amiable and respectful. There's very little to no human traffic on these trails. Furthermore, the trails were well maintained and trail signs are abundant. However, you can easily get loss given these trails were interconnected as evidence by a young male hiker who got loss asked me for direction. Finding street parking was easy. Cell reception was good. Overall, it's a wonderful trail to get a good cardio workout and enjoy the mountain view.